


Painful Relaxation

by brightpinkstars



Category: The 100
Genre: Also she hates exercise but loves girls, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clarke is a big bi mess and Lexa is really hot, F/F, Pilates!AU, She just wants to watch netflix for hours but raven and octavia make her leave the house, i went to pilates 3 times for this fic kms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 07:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6364729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightpinkstars/pseuds/brightpinkstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Bathed in natural sunlight, the studio felt a lot less clinical, Clarke mused as she placed her mat in the centre of the room, smiling and nodding at the others. Maybe being in the middle was too keen, she was already painfully aware that coming twice in the space of 24 hours was a bit excessive, but she couldn’t help it. She was drawn to Lexa like she couldn’t explain...and she really wanted to get in shape."</p><p>In which Clarke is dragged to the gym by her friends but doesn't mind so much when she sees her Pilates Instructor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Painful Relaxation

Pushing through the door into the well lit studio, it was already half full of people in almost identical workout gear, stretching barefoot on green mats along the length of the wooden floor.

“So, is today the day I finally get to lay my eyes upon Trainer McHotpants?” Clarke asked Octavia with a raise of her eyebrows as she turned to face her friend.

“No, Lincoln doesn’t usually teach the thursday class very often” 

“Ooh, getting serious then, you know his class schedule” Clarke teased her friend as they made their way towards the studio.

“Yeah we probably have Lexa the hardass today” Raven wrapped one arm around Clarke’s shoulders and the other around Octavia’s “She usually makes the fresh meat cry”

“Oh gee, now I’m even more excited to go to this hell class” Clarke rolled her eyes as Octavia brushed Raven’s arm off with a chuckle.

“Count yourself lucky, we could have brought you to body combat”

Clarke followed Octavia and Raven to the mats hanging from the wall on pegs.

"You're gonna want to take two, Princess" Raven smirked as she reached up to grab another mat for her friend "Don't want to bust your knees out" She grinned as Octavia winked from behind her.

"You've got to be shitting me now guys, it can't be that bad." Huffing, Clarke looked around the room, noticing only a few other people had two mats arranged in a cross section, and they were all definitely over 40. With an eye roll, Clarke took the extra mat and followed Octavia and Raven to the centre of the room. 

"Surely it's unhealthy for these classes to be done barefoot?" She mused as she dropped her mats on the floor, the thud echoing around the room. "Sprung floors like these?" She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet as to make a point "hot beds for bacteria and viruses to live. Especially foot fungus." She raised her eyebrows as Octavia threw her a dirty look "Sure will be fun to find my inner zen though!" She said with fake cheer as the room suddenly fell silent and she noticed her friends straighten up a little, confused, she followed their gaze until her jaw dropped.

She was slight, and probably only marginally taller than clarke herself, dark hair elegantly tied into a fishtail plait that dropped over her shoulder ending at the top of an elaborate tattoo adorning her right bicep. Clarke could see in the reflection of the mirror behind the woman that she also had a long tattoo adorning her back, partially obscured by the black sports bra she had on. What Clarke noticed the most though was her bright green eyes, that lit the whole room up like they were luminous. They seemed kind though, and like they had seen a lot more than the body they were situated in. 

"Evening everyone" Her face remained passive as she rolled out a blue mat at the front of the room, eyes surveying the people in front of her. "Nice to see some old faces here today" Her eyes met Clarke's and Clarke tried her hardest not to avert her eyes, worried that she would damage her eyes from looking at something that bright for too long. "And some new ones. Just give me one second and then we'll get started" 

Surely this couldn't be Lexa the hardass, Clarke thought as she watched the trainer walk the length of the room to place her bag on the floor and place a CD in the player, the sound of rain suddenly filling the room and the lights dimmed, creating an ambiance where there was previously the clinical fluorescent lights that Clarke got enough of at the hospital.

"Now, of the new faces, who here has never partaken in Pilates before?" the girl asked the room as she walked back to her mat and Clarke felt Raven's eyes burning into the side of her face as she sheepishly raised her hand. 

"Okay then, well you definitely came to the right place for your first lesson, if I say so myself." The girl gave Clarke a soft smile and there was a slight jaunt in her voice that Clarke was sure was a rare thing. "Just take it easy, it's a lot harder than it looks. Whenever I give options for things you to do, do the easier one, I promise you'll regret it if you don't" Clarke nodded as she spoke, not completely listening to what she was saying, mostly just watching her lips move. 

"Now, do you have any injuries that might affect how you can perform some of the exercises?"

Clarke snapped out of her daze to quickly shake her head "No, no I'm perfectly healthy" She said with a quick smile.

"Good." She then raised her voice again, obviously addressing the whole room again. "Just a reminder that I'm Lexa, and if you have any questions about any of the exercises, don't be afraid to ask. And let us begin by focussing on our breathing. Remember that Pilates breath; in and long into your intercostal muscles….through your nose and out quickly through pursed lips. Hands on ribs now." Clarke turned to smile at Octavia and Raven as she mirrored Lexa's hand placement. Surely Lexa the hardass couldn't be that bad.

Forty five minutes later and Clarke was in PAIN. Lexa had them lying on their sides, one arm propping up their heads and the other pulled into a completely unnecessary position, legs in the air moving in some pattern Clarke had long forgotten as she just focussed on keeping her legs in the air, stomach shaking from the effort. It was almost annoying to see Lexa at the front doing it perfectly, her stomach muscles well defined and flexing with each scissor of her legs. 

“You should be really feelings this in your core muscles below your abs, and in your gluteus medius.” Lexa called out to the class, Clarke marvelling at how she was able to project her voice while she personally was struggling to breathe. From over her shoulder, Clarke saw Octavia throw a smirk in her direction. She was clearly struggling too, but was nowhere near the shade of red Clarke was. Lexa’s voice echoed around the room as she told them all to relax and Clarke’s legs dropped like lead, breath coming out in short pants, her whole body trembling slightly.

“Okay guys, quick full body stretch before we begin our cool down” Lexa’s voice carried across the room, washing over Clarke like a wave, somehow giving her the strength to bring her arms above her head to interlace and stretch, letting out a sigh of relief as her back cracked deliciously. She had muscles hurting she didn’t even know were muscles, which was saying a lot for a med student. 

“Everyone back on their feet now, legs one shoulder width apart and we’re gonna finish off with some squats” Lexa was back on her feet at the front of the room, positively glowing from the work out. 

Clarke raised her head slightly, groaning from the effort, eyes meeting Lexa’s from across the room.

“Five more minutes and then you’re done, newbie. You can do it” Lexa’s words were accompanied with a small, encouraging smile which was all the motivation Clarke needed to be up on her feet, ignoring the quiet chuckle from Octavia.

“And...relax”  
Clarke’s thighs were burning as she held the final seconds of the squat, legs shaking as she straightened up, turning towards Raven with a pained expression on her face. 

“So, how was the super-easy pilates, Griffin?” Raven wiped down her face with a towel, and chuckled at the now doubled over Clarke, trying to regain her breath and jumping when Octavia slapped her on the ass and handed her a bottle of water. 

Just as Clarke was about to down the water like it was God’s last gift to mankind, she felt a tap on her shoulder and if she wasn’t so tired, she would have been angry that she was being forced to move once again; If she wasn’t still trying to catch her breath, it would have been knocked out of her again at the sight of Lexa up close, towel round her neck and a soft smile on her lips.

“I just wanted to say you did really well today, you show a lot of promise for a beginner” Her voice was a lot softer now, Clarke noted as she tried not to get lost in the bright green eyes that were only inches from her face.

“I know it can be a lot harder than it looks” Lexa carried on, eyes flicking over Clarke’s face, tongue subtly darting out to moisten her lips “But I think if you came regularly…..You have the potential to be very good” 

Clarke’s breath hitched as Lexa complimented her and returned her a soft smile, trying to ignore Octavia scoffing behind her

“Wow, uh thanks, I really enjoyed it” 

“Well, I hope to see you again soon…?” Lexa’s voice trailed off, leaving an unasked question in the air.

“Oh!” Clarke’s face lit up “Clarke. My name’s Clarke” 

“I hope to see you again soon then, Clarke.” Lexa gave a slight inclination of her head, popping the K in Clarke’s name. “There are classes every day at 12 and 7” 

“I’ll make sure to be there” A small smile tugged at the edges of Clarke’s mouth.

“It was lovely to meet you, Clarke” Lexa smiled as she stepped backwards, eyes still not leaving Clarke’s “And, uh, good class girls” She awkwardly said to Octavia and Raven before turning to grab her bag and make her way towards the door, eyes steadfast in front of her. 

As the door slammed shut, Raven let out a low whistle, snapping Clarke out of her momentary trance.  
“Well that’s new.” Octavia raised her eyebrows at Clarke, causing Raven to chuckle. “She doesn’t know our names.”

“Probably because we don’t spend the entire lesson undressing her with our eyes” Raven smirked, bumping Clarke with her shoulder as they began to make their way towards the door.

Flushing a deep red, Clarke protested “I was not!” 

“Certainly looked like it to me” Octavia teased, holding the door open for the others “Plus, I don’t know what she was talking about ‘showing a lot of promise’ you were a hot mess”

________________________________________________

The phone rang three times before it was picked up, catching Clarke unaware as she heard a chipper voice on the other end of the line.

“Polaris Health Club, how may I help you?”

“Oh uh, hey” Clarke’s voice wavered as she began to pace around her bedroom, stepping over the unwashed pile of laundry she kept telling herself she would get to today. “I was wondering if Pilates was still on today at 12?” She asked, gnawing on her lip

After a few seconds of audible tapping on a keyboard the woman’s voice came back “Yes, it is, would you like me to book you in for that?”

“Oh, um, well I was wondering if you could tell me who was teaching that class today?” Clarke’s voice raised slightly with a tiny burst of hope

“Well, it’s either Lincoln or Lexa, they usually decide between themselves, I have no other information currently”

Clarke’s heart sank momentarily, and then almost kicked herself at how stupid that reaction was “Well, tha-”

“Oh, wait, Lexa?” The receptionist called out “Is it you or Lincoln teaching Pilates in an hour?”

And then, quieter in the background of the call “I am teaching that class, why?”

“Well, I have a woman on the phone asking.”

“Which woman?” Clarke’s eyes widened as she heard Lexa ask, her heartbeat speeding up erratically, she did not want Lexa to know it was her, and after a few moments of fumbling with her phone, hung up.

___________________________________________

Bathed in natural sunlight, the studio felt a lot less clinical, Clarke mused as she placed her mat in the centre of the room, smiling and nodding at the others in the room. Maybe being in the middle was too keen, she was already painfully aware that coming twice in the space of 24 hours was a bit excessive, but she couldn’t help it. She was drawn to Lexa like she couldn’t explain...and she really wanted to get in shape. Yeah, that was mostly it. And the class having an incredibly hot teacher with shiny abs was just a plus. It was how she got through her AP Chemistry in high school and it was how she was gonna get into shape. She was just really into getting fit. Really into-

“Morning class” Fuck. The muscles in Clarke’s jaw tensed as she had to physically restrain her jaw from dropping as Lexa glided into the room, somehow looking even more beautiful than she had last night, although it was highly likely that she just hadn’t remembered every detail of Lexa’s face, every curve and line. The initial softness that gave way to the hard demeanor.  
Her hair was down today, although her hands were already moving up to pull it up. Her footsteps stopped when she caught a glimpse of blonde hair out of the corner of her eye.

With a turn of her head, Lexa’s eyes met with Clarke’s and a twitch of a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “It’s good to see you again, Clarke” 

It was only a second of contact, but Clarke felt a shiver travel through her body as Lexa continued to pull her hair into a ponytail and made her way towards the media centre on the other side of the room.

Moments later, sounds of panpipes and rain filled the room as Lexa’s mat hit the ground with a thud. 

“I don’t see anybody new here today” She glanced around the room “But just remember what I always say,” Her eyes trained on Clarke, causing the blonde to shift her weight between her legs under the trainer’s intense stare. “don’t push yourself too hard. Respect your body and know it’s limits” 

The ache in Clarke’s legs that only increased as she moved to their first position reminded her that being here again so soon was probably not the best idea. But, as she noticed Lexa’s eyes flick over to her again, that stubborn voice inside wanted her to show Lexa that she didn’t need to worry about Clarke.

45 excruciating minutes later, Clarke’s muscles were on the fritz, at the point of spasm, a bead of sweat at her temple as Lexa called out instructions to the class

“Okay, so we squat, then we lift our heels off the ground, hold it for 10 seconds, then lower the heels and straighten the legs. Squat, lift, hold, lower, straighten” Lexa demonstrated as she instructed “I want to see everyone looking nice and straight, no cheating, alright guys?”  
Clarke couldn’t hold back her snort at Lexa’s words, all the heads in the room turning to look at her.

“We do not laugh in Pilates, Clarke. We train” Although Lexa’s voice was harsh, Clarke noticed the smile and quick once over the instructor gave her, and Clarke’s gaydar lit up like a christmas tree.

As the class began to ‘squat, lift and hold’ Clarke felt her right thigh begin to spasm under the pressure. Choosing to ignore it, she grit her teeth and tried to focus on more important things, like the fact that Lexa was clearly checking her out now.

 

Lower,

Straighten,

Squat,

Lift,

Hold,

Lower,

Straighten

Squ-

As Clarke went to squat for the third time, she wasn’t greeted by the burn in her muscles she was beginning to become accustomed to, but instead a sharp, intense pain shooting through her knee, accompanied with a loud pop echoing through the room. 

“Fuck!” Clarke yelled out impulsively as her legs buckled beneath her and she hit the floor with a thud. 

Lexa was crouched by Clarke’s side in a split second, face a picture of concern and shock. “Are you okay, that didn’t sound healthy” She brushed her fingers against Clarke’s skin, before drawing back immediately, unsure of whether to touch her.

“Everybody out!” Lexa yelled to the class with such ferocity that the others who had began to inch towards the injured girl stopped in their tracks and stumbled to get their stuff and leave the studio.

Lexa turned her attention back to Clarke, who was fighting back tears as she cradled her knee, shudders rolling through her whole body.

“Clarke” Lexa’s voice was soft, full of concern. “Are you okay?” Her eyes were wide as she tried to turn her expression into one of support and strength.

“Yeah..yeah” The blonde huffed out, leaning slightly towards Lexa, her head touching the trainer’s bicep. “My knee just went pop, I’m fine.”

“I know, I heard. We all heard” Lexa gave Clarke a soft smile “We should probably get the physio to take a look at this”

Clarke grumbled lowly, muttering something along the lines of just wanting to go home and sleep it off.

“No, no. The physio’s just down the hall, she’s really nice, her name is Anya. She’ll take care of you” Lexa soothed Clarke, stroking her hair softly. “Can you stand up? Lean on me as much as you want.”

Clarke braced herself as she grabbed Lexa’s arm and tried to push herself off the floor, knee almost buckling again, but Lexa grabbed her before she could fall down again and hoisted her up, Clarke’s eyes widening at her strength.

“Sorry, I just didn’t want you to fall again” Lexa smiled apologetically as Clarke leaned against her and they made their way towards the door, and she tried to hide her whimpers of pain.

Lexa settled Clarke down on a seat outside the physiotherapist’s office and gave her another reassuring smile before disappearing into her friends office “Won’t be a moment”

Clarke relaxed into the chair, trying to distract herself from the pain in her leg. God, she was stupid. She should have just stopped when she felt her leg shaking. Hell, she should have just not come to this class, waiting another few days. Why was she such a thirsty bitch that she had to come and see Lexa again. Yes, she’s hot, but at what price? She was hot and strong, Clarke remembered how effortlessly the trainer had lifted her, and god how good she had smelt when Clarke was pressed against her. If she wasn’t so distracted by the pain in her knee, Clarke probably would have been turned on.

She was shook out of her thoughts by the sound of the office door closing again, and Lexa walking over to her, an ice pack in one hand.

“Anya is seeing someone else at the moment, but she can be with you in 5 minutes” Lexa explained, clasping her hands in front of her. “So, I was advised to give you this” She held out the ice pack, and Clarke’s fingers brushed against hers as she took it and placed it on her knee, an involuntary hiss of pain leaving her lips.

“May I sit?” Lexa gestured to the seat next to Clarke, waiting for the inclination of the blonde’s head. 

“Clarke, I can’t help but feel partially responsible” Lexa began, as she sat on the edge of the seat, hands wringing on her lap.

“Lexa, what are you talking about?” Clarke interrupted her, furrowing her brow at the brunette’s clear apprehension. “It was my fault, I pushed myself too hard, I knew I should have stopped, but I did it anyway.”

“Yes, but I should have watched you close-”

“It’s not your fault” Clarke interjected, emphasising each word to reassure Lexa. “I was the idiot who decided to come for another lesson 12 hours after her first, especially since I know how unfit I am.” Clarke gave Lexa a soft smile, before reaching out to touch the other girl’s arm.

“Not many people do two lessons so close to each other. Usually the really big health nuts”

“Well, that’s where I differ from everyone else. The only nut I am is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich”

Lexa tilted her head slightly “Well, why did you come today then?”

Clarke’s eyes flicked downward and she awkwardly chuckled. “I guess I just really enjoyed your class” When she looked back up at Lexa, the other girl’s eyes were large, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

“Well, I really enjoy having you in my class, Clarke” 

“It sucks I probably won’t be able to come for a couple weeks with this” Clarke gestured down to her knee with a regretful look on her face.

“Yes, that’s a shame….” Lexa’s voice tapered off as she tinged the slightest bit red, before digging through her bag to pull out a notebook and pen, scribbling down quickly and tearing the page out. “Well, here’s my phone number if you want to maybe hang out without injuring yourself?” She waited with baited breath for Clarke to take the piece of paper.

“Yeah, hanging out sounds cool….I mean, I’d much rather take you on a date” Clarke raised her eyebrows inquisitively as she took the paper from Lexa’s hand.

Lexa’s eyes widened and she nodded quickly. “Yes, a date sounds…..” She cleared her throat and gave Clarke a warm smile as the door to the Anya’s office opened, the previous customer thanking the physio and making their way down the corridor, leaving Anya standing in the doorway with her arms folded.

“Is this your casualty, Lex?” She chuckled as Lexa helped Clarke up and the blonde hobbled towards the door.

Clarke turned around to give Lexa one last smile “Thanks for looking after me, Lexa. I’ll call you.” Over Clarke’s shoulder, Lexa could see Anya roll her eyes at her before the door swung shut.

**Author's Note:**

> So, that was my first little dabble into fic writing, I hope you liked it!  
> I'm currently working on a modern au multi-chapter if you want to read more of my stuff, or just shoot me an ask at lexad.tumblr.com because I'm always looking for new people to yell at about fics.


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